“I’m . . .” Stammering, I plucked the cotton roll from the ground. “I’m not looking for Darric.” The bellows captured the night. I listened intently.
“I see.” The stallion took a step forwards once the echoes faded. “You must tread carefully, Fae Princess. The bears are agitated tonight with their old adversary back on the prowl.”
“One is injured,” I explained.
He nodded. “There will be blood on the horizon if any approach him.”
“Have you seen him?” I asked hastily.
“I am keeping my herd at a guarded distance. The bears will kill our offspring. Detestable carnivores. We will retreat to the secret parts of the valley until winter nears and the predators disappear into the crevices of the mountains.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“Indeed.”
“Will you take me to him?”
“Do you wish for death?” Concern registered across his brilliant features. “If so, I cannot assist you. I will not contribute to the worldly loss of a Divine, nor a Fae.”
“I’m not trying to die. I want to help him. Darric and his brothers plan to find him at dawn. I’ve caused enough pain. I never should have joined their hunt today, and I am desperate to fix what I have done.”
“Remorse is a human emotion, as is regret. I cannot empathize.” The steed continued to close the distance between us until I could see my reflection in his black eyes. “You are a strange anomaly, Ayleth, and though I would seek to keep a Divine human safe from harm, I cannot deter a Fae from fulfilling her wishes. A distressing decision on my part. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “Will you help me?”
“I shall take you to him. The Fae in you outwills the Divine. However, I shall not stay once we reach him. Your fate will be your own.” He walked past me and into the forest.
I trailed behind him until the underbrush transitioned into a grassy forest sprouting an expanse of endless pine and aspen trees. A soupy gray fog hung under the canopy, chilling the day’s leftover warmth. I didn’t like this part of the valley and sped up so I could walk alongside the steed. “Do you have a name?”
“Atlas,” he answered proudly.
“Do all horses have names?” I asked, hoping conversation would keep my mind off the creaking trees and spectral witching-hour sounds of the forest. Darric was alone in this environment every night, yet he feared nothing.
“Do all humans have names?” I detected the faintest hint of sarcasm. “All animals have a title they call themselves in one tongue or another. Most would not be discernable to your ears.”
“I’ve only met one animal that I couldn’t communicate with.”
Atlas’s eyes darted to the cat half hiding beneath my cloak. “Hearing something does not mean you can understand it. You have heard us all your life, have you not? Have you always understood what is being said?”
“It wasn’t until recently I learned I could speak with animals. Where I come from, I’m considered something of a lunatic. The only reason I’m alive is because of Darric.”
“A vexing action that is causing him much torment, I assure you.”
Confused, I furrowed my brows. “How . . . ?”
“Forgive me, I am not sharing an open connection with you.” He lowered his head, and some of his hair fell into his eyes. “I have no intention of betraying the emotions of Darric Ursygh.”
“The other animals, I could feel what they felt, but not you,” I observed.
“I am not allowing you to penetrate so deeply into my consciousness.”
“Because of Darric?” I confirmed.
He nodded. “His secrets are not mine to reveal. He is . . . something of a friend. I have known him longer than any human, since he first arrived in this valley several years ago. He was a boy then, yet he lacked the innocence I would have expected from a child. He has always been exceedingly heavy with burden.”
“How much do you know about him?” I inquired, curious.
“More than he realizes. I can hear when he speaks. His thoughts. His heart. Though he is not a Fae, he is the only human I could understand until you. His companions are mute to me, as are the other humans I have rarely encountered. I have tried to communicate with him in the past, but he cannot hear me. He exhibits several qualities of the Fae yet lacks the blood. It is quite perplexing.”
“What qualities?” Mesmerized by his knowledge, I began to forget the reason I was in the woods alone at night.
“Fortitude. Dexterity. Precognition. Untamed communication—though he seems oblivious to that peculiar power.”
“Precognition?” I breathed, astonished. “I don’t have any of those abilities.” No wonder Darric was an expert assassin. He was endowed with inhuman proficiencies.
“Not currently. You are odd as a Fae. I know little about it, only what Athera whispers on the wind. The men dressed in black cloaks who ride black horses through the night have prevented a Fae from ever obtaining omnipotence. If they continue their quest, none ever will.”
I came to a grinding halt. “Omnipotence? You’re joking.”
Atlas stopped walking to look at me. “What is joking?”
“It means to not be serious.” The trees waved and creaked in the breeze. “Or to trifle.” My teeth chattered in the eerie chill, and I shuddered.
“To lie?” he questioned, insulted. “What purpose do you suppose I would have for detailing to you a deception?”
I shrugged, releasing a shaky exhale.
“Human’s truly are a curious species, full of emotion that drives their decisions. And you, Fae Princess, are among the most enigmatic.”
A bone-quaking grumble vibrated my feet, snapping me out of my daze. In front of us loomed a cave carved jagged into the rock. Stalactites and stalagmites lined the opening like the sharp, bloodthirsty teeth of a monstrous mouth.
Atlas nodded at the foreboding entrance. “He is in there.”
My blood ran cold, and my knees began to quiver.
“He can still run but will not maintain lengthy speed. There may be the chance you can outrun him. Use discretion. Do not startle him, and keep your mind open.”
I nodded to acknowledge Atlas’s advice and inhaled until my chest hurt.
“Good luck to you, Ayleth the Divine Fae Princess. May you see the dawn.”
“Thank you,” I mouthed.
I tipped my head to enter the cave. A variety of rocks and pointed mineral deposits covered the floor, and I had to sway from side to side to avoid strange crystalline growths on the low ceiling. It smelled vaguely like the Hovel, if the Hovel had been overrun by living short-faced bears. The overwhelming stench made my eyes water. The moonlight illuminated the opening, but after stepping mere feet inside, I became lost in a crepuscular world where my heart threatened to tear a hole through my chest.
The rear of the cave appeared fathomless. How deep would I have to go before I found him? I glanced at the entrance. Atlas was gone.
My eyes failed to adjust to the darkness. Something moved in the caliginous shadows with a blatant huffing breath, and the entire right wall shifted. A fur boulder turned to face me, and I stared straight into the glow of two bloodcurdling eyes.
I threw my hand over my mouth to stop a scream. The creature peered at me and lowered his massive head to breathe in a long whiff of the front of my dress. The fabric stuck to his nose. He blew out, and the force of his breath made the wool cling to my skin. Everything about him was stronger, bulkier, heavier than his mate.
A terrified tear fell down my cheek as I started to hyperventilate.
“I should. Kill. You. Now.”
My blood congealed. His voice rumbled in my brain, incredibly menacing and arcane. I had never heard its equal. Truly inhuman.
I worked to unblock my mind. One swipe of his colossal paw and my life would end. He needed to understand I meant no harm. “I came to help you.” I hiccupped and drew in several short breaths. ”I can remove the arrow from your leg.�
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“If you come any closer, I will rip you to shreds.” He expelled each breath with an audible rumble. I could see the outline of his teeth as he spoke, the darkness of the cave making his canines shine black.
“I knew the risk involved when I decided to find you,” I said warily.
“You deserve death.” He growled. The painful pulsing of his arm started in my own as the first of his open thoughts filled my head. He was nervous but didn’t want to display weakness. He feared I had a hidden weapon waiting to finish him. How could this monster be afraid of a tiny woman?
An image of Darric standing on the ledge looking down over the glen, me crouched beside him, flashed into my brain. “You were with him.”
“Yes.” I shut my eyes, ashamed, and forced myself not to block him out despite his voice causing insanity.
“A Fae should have known better.” Suffering washed over his face. He hobbled back with his injured arm tucked against his chest, the indigo fletching still nestled into his fur.
“Yes,” I mouthed in agreement.
The bear peered into my eyes. His steamy, malodorous breath puffed against my cheeks. “It is not in my interest to destroy a Fae. You would have died this morning if it were. Yet, you wander here lacking foresight. So I ask you: what do you offer to keep me from taking your life?”
“My name is Ayleth. I am the Divine Princess of Brisleia.” My teeth chattered between words.
“And a Fae,” he confirmed, amazed.
I nodded as the tears trickled down my neck and into the top of my dress.
“Impressive combination of talents,” he said on a growl.
His face was inches from my nose. The brown and crimson swirls of his irises gleamed with hatred, and the sour smell of his pelt penetrated my lungs and twisted my stomach into a nauseated knot. “I can remove the arrow, clean the wound, dress it. It will help you heal.”
“Not good enough!” He roared and slammed his good paw into the ground, shaking drops of water from the ceiling. “I see the mark burning beneath your skin, Divine Fae. Your eminence has much to offer.”
“What do you want from me?” I whispered, petrified of his answer.
“You are the only one close to the source. The purpose of the Fae is being annihilated by the black-cloaked assassins. Learn your power. Wield it. Become it. There is someone who can assist you in this matter, and you know well the tyrant of which I speak.”
I shook my head, dismayed. “I can’t do that. Darric doesn’t listen to me. He won’t help me do anything.”
The bear ruffled his snout in displeasure. “You are his mate, are you not?”
I gaped, continually shaking my head.
“Ignorant human beings. Make him. It is his penance for this atrocity. To kill a young female of my kind is degeneracy at its greatest.” He tilted his head, analyzing my fear.
“Darric knows it is degeneracy. We tried to get away from her. He never wanted to kill her.” My hands went clammy, and I clutched the wrapped cotton bundle. I couldn’t possibly be as cold as I felt. “We were trying to kill you. He said you were old and limping. I got in the way. It is my arrow in your arm.”
An acrimonious roar tore through the bear’s throat. He lunged, barreling into me and knocking me to the ground. My back crunched onto the rocky floor. He stood over me with bared teeth. Drool seeped from his lips and pooled on my dress. Daggerlike claws scraped into the ground on either side of my body, leaving jagged cuts in the stone. The cat hissed and arched her back but did not attack.
Screaming was useless. I stared up at him. Ready to die. Knowing in his eyes I deserved death.
“You are afraid.” His voice lowered to something like a whisper but hissed when it bounced inside my skull.
“I’m terrified.” My mouth went dry. I clutched the bundle to my chest and waited.
“Your courage is admirable.” He grunted, slinking off me, and sheltered farther in the cave. “Last warmth, I was injured by a competitor and lost the right to breed.” His raging drastically lessened, replaced by a mournful grumble. “As it happens, your Darric Ursygh eliminated that adversary. The arrogant sword-wielding bowman is correct. I am in the finality of my life.”
My spine creaked, and I cautiously maneuvered into a sitting position. “I don’t know how to convince Darric to teach me anything, but I give you my word I will do what I can.”
“It goes against my instinct to allow you near.” He stepped over me, carefully placing his paws so as not to crush me, and laid his massive belly on the floor in the light of the full moon. A painful, discordant groan rumbled from deep within his chest as he extended his leg into the nightly glow. “You have two minutes,” he warned.
The wooden shaft of my stray arrow had vanished beneath his elbow, leaving the head visible on one side and the purple fletching on the other. I gulped, tentatively pushing the fur aside to examine the wound. Though warm and dirty, the pelt was identical to the rugs inside the Hovel. “This is going to be painful.”
The bear grumbled and laid his head on the stone. “You are wasting precious time talking.”
I set the cotton and water aside to pull Luken’s dagger free from its scabbard. The bear snarled at the blade, revealing half a canine. I smoothed fur away from the arrowhead to locate a small section of exposed wood and began to saw. Within two strokes, the rocky head fell to the ground with a muted clank. I sheathed the dagger and lightly tugged the exposed fletching. It didn’t budge. “You should take a deep breath,” I advised.
“My patience runs thin, Fae.”
My hands shook as I firmly clasped the feathered end. I took to my feet and yanked the arrow from his arm in one smooth motion.
The bear launched from the stone, filling the cave with an ear-shattering roar.
Rage fueled him. He tried to rear onto his hind legs but hit his head on the ceiling. Frustrated, he threw his paw at a nearby mineral deposit. It exploded, sending rocks flying towards me. I ducked and covered my head. Frightened tears flooded my eyes until the sounds of breaking stone faded.
Why did I come here alone? Darric was not so unreasonable. I should have waited until dawn. I could have pleaded with him to help this bear. Instead, I would die in this cave and never see him again. A disturbing need consumed me. I wished more than anything to have Darric here, protecting me, sheltering me.
The beast ceased his tantrum with a snort and ground his teeth. “Apologies I believe is the term humans use.” He returned to lying on his belly. “You attempted to notify me of physical distress, and I ignored your warning.” Fresh blood poured from his arm, soaking into his fur and pooling on the cave floor. “You may continue.”
I was trembling so uncontrollably I doubted I could open the water container.
“Is courage failing you?” He offered me his injury. “Perhaps the phrase ‘there is a reason why I haven’t killed you yet’ would ease your trepidation.” The words mimicked Darric’s threats, even his diction and delivery. An image of my cloaked, hooded stranger flashed through my brain.
I eased onto my knees and pulled the cork from the leather pouch. “How do you know about that?”
“As I have let you into my head, so you have allowed me into yours. Your resolve keeps me from harming you. Your potential. If you are ever going to become what is needed of you, I cannot end your life. ‘I’d want your death to haunt me.’”
Pushing aside a thick layer of fur, I poured water into the gaping carmine hole.
“I would encourage you not to put your life in danger in the future. A Fae has been born Divine. The unification may prove useful. Don’t squander it.”
The cat meowed, drawing both of our attentions. She stood just outside the cave. Her shimmering pelt appeared almost metallic in the moonlight.
“You have interesting friends,” the bear mused, looking at her. “Still, I must caution you against Darric Ursygh.”
Having exhausted the water, I reached for the cotton fabric and carefully wrapped his leg.
Thankfully, I’d brought enough to fit around his immense front limb. “Darric has repeatedly saved my life. He is protecting me because I am a Fae.”
The cat gave a low growl; she sounded like a mouse when compared to the bear.
“Yet, tonight you disregard his sacrifice and put your life in jeopardy.” He shifted his head to meet my gaze. His eyes appeared more chestnut, bordering on friendly. “Do not be foolish and believe he has anything to gain from your Divinity.”
“I never told him I was Divine,” I admitted mournfully. “The three of them, Darric and his brothers, they don’t even know my real name.”
“There is sorrow in your voice.” He shook his head, displeased.
My heart fell. I tied off the bandage and tucked the fabric into itself.
The bear stood, shaking his pelt so it sprayed dirt. “Resist your sentiment for Ursygh, Fae, though I fear it is too late. Your head is muddled with thoughts of him. I see invasions of the swordsman in your brain, consuming you like a plague. Obsession is dangerous to the human mind.”
I stumbled to my feet, trying to stop my knees from buckling.
The bear shifted his weight onto his haunches. He raised his paw and swatted at me. I faltered backwards to avoid him, but his agile claw caught my hand, ripping the flesh of my palm.
I gave a short cry of astonishment. A pink-and-white fleshy gash stretched from my wrist to my fingers and had yet to begin to bleed. I balled my hand into a fist and crumpled it to my belly.
“Something to remember me by.” He growled slyly with a hint of amusement. “As I have something to remember you.”
Blood commenced pouring from the wound. It dripped through my fingers and stained the front of my dress.
The bear wiggled his nose. “Fae blood has an exquisite smell, and I am still starving from winter. Does it taste as distinctive?” Any notion of friendliness vanished from his eyes. “Get . . . Out . . .”
My stomach launched into my throat, and my heart rate reached an unprecedented speed. I lunged for the cave exit, tearing past the boulder of moving fur, and fled into the moonlit fog. Behind me, a blaring roar shredded the quiet forest. My legs burned; the muscles in my thighs and calves ripped from being pushed to the extreme twice in one day.
Dreams of the Fae: Transcendence Page 25